Beyond Form, Shape, And Image: Appreciating Building As Art

The famous Swiss architect Peter Zumthor said, "What I try to do is the art of building, and the art of building is the art of construction; it is not only about forms and shapes and images." I'm a freelance photographer who makes a living from taking pictures of large construction projects such as skyscrapers, roads, and dams. After a project is finished, the photographs are usually displayed at the grand opening to provide a nostalgic record of each stage of the project. I've learned the importance of paying attention to the finer details, the art behind the construction, rather than the big picture. Over time, I've developed quite an eye for creative construction techniques and the approaches undertaken by different contractors. This blog is a little celebration of the art behind every piece of construction and the people who put it together. Do enjoy.

Two tips for those who want to build a house on an undeveloped piece of land

Posted on:
24 August 2018

If you are planning to build a house on an undeveloped piece of land in the near future, you may want to keep the following two tips in mind.

Get a digital terrain model survey carried out

One of the most common issues people face when trying to devise plans for the construction of a house on undeveloped land is that this type of land is often covered in a lot of dense greenery. This can make it difficult to visually examine the land's topography and determine where it would be best to build the house.

This person can survey the land and then create an extremely precise digital image of the plot, which accurately depicts the contours of the land, as well as any significant natural features it contains.

Having this visual depiction of the land's topography and features will make it far easier for you and your contractor to determine where on the land you should build your house.

After seeing the results of the digital survey, you may, for example, decide against building too close to a steep incline on the land, in order to prevent the house from being flooded when rainwater flows down this slope and pools at the bottom.

Check for native trees before you begin to clear the land

In order to begin the construction of your house, you will probably need to rent some bulldozers and excavators and use these to remove any unwanted vegetation and trees.

However, before you do this, you should check for the presence of native trees on the land. The reason for this is as follows; some native trees are protected by law and as such, if you cut them down during the land-clearing process, you may end up facing legal consequences. This may include being fined.

This type of situation could disrupt the construction work and affect your ability to finance your construction project.

As such, it is best to spend a while examining the trees to ensure that none of them are native. If you do come across native trees that you need to cut down in order to proceed with the construction process, you should get in touch with your local council and apply for permission to do so.